Supreme Court OKs Expanded Hacking Power for FBI Sean Lyngaas - FCW
go to original April 30, 2016

Supreme Court Expands FBI Hacking Power (wochit News)

The Supreme Court has approved a controversial rule that would allow U.S. judges to issue search warrants for computers outside their jurisdictions, a move critics say would significantly expand the FBI's hacking powers.

The Justice Department has long sought the broadened authority to tackle criminals' ability to conceal their online activity. The amendment to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure would allow judges to issue warrants for computers whose location has "been concealed through technological means," such as the web anonymizing service Tor.

Congress has until Dec. 1 to reverse the decision before it takes effect. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a frequent critic of online surveillance, said he will soon introduce legislation that would overturn the amendment.

Justice spokesman Peter Carr said the remote searches the amendment authorizes are often the only way to find criminals who have access to "sophisticated anonymizing technologies to conceal their identity while they engage in crime over the Internet."

The amendment "ensures that courts can be asked to review warrant applications in situations where is it currently unclear what judge has that authority," Carr said in a statement. "The amendment makes explicit that it does not change the traditional rules governing probable cause and notice."

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